Bolingbrook Gives Builder Ok--with Strings

February 17, 1996|By Shirley Siluk Gregory. Special to the Tribune.

Plans for a 149-acre residential development on the south end of town won the Bolingbrook Village Board's approval this week, but only after officials received assurances from the builder that problems at a previously built subdivision would be solved and not repeated.

Montalbano Builders Inc. plans to construct 516 single-family homes on land at the southwest corner of Lily Cache Lane and Schmidt Road.

Before receiving village approval for a special use permit, however, the company had to convince officials the project would be free of the problems that have plagued homeowners at Hunters Trail. That other Montalbano subdivision in town is situated east of Illinois Highway 53 and south of Briarcliff Road.

"We understand we haven't been perfect, and we're prepared to accept that responsibility," said Mark Malouf, the newly hired vice president of operations for Montalbano.

He promised that any complaints Hunters Trail residents have about their homes would be responded to and solved.

After learning of some of the problems at Hunters Trail, the village mailed letters to all the subdivision's residents, notifying them of Montalbano's plans to build another development in town. The letters asked if residents had any outstanding concerns that needed to be addressed by the builder.

Among the homeowners' complaints were that requests for service were answered slowly, if at all. Complaints included icy windows, sinking floors, street-lighting problems and confusion over responsibility for common areas.

"The issues we have are process issues," said Morris Jones, a homeowner who spoke on behalf of Hunters Trail residents. "We don't feel any future residents should have to suffer issues like who is in charge of the land in front of their yard."

Mayor Roger Claar acknowledged some of the Hunters Trail infrastructure problems stemmed from the previous developer, who began lighting and other work before declaring foreclosure and abandoning the project.

When Montalbano took over, though, that company became responsible for ensuring that the development met village standards, he said.

Claar added that staff members would work to make sure Montalbano addressed existing problems at Hunters Trail and would follow the progress of construction at the new subdivision very closely.

"In the event we run into problems, we can be slow pulling building permits . . . real slow," he said.